I will first awake from my sleepy world, then will go with you;

Let me make a noise in my house of sorrow, then I will leave;

Let me first drink another cup of bitter wine, then I will leave with you.

I’m going right now; let me get hold of myself a bit, then I’ll go with you.

.

Who knows when I drank the wine of sorrow; its intoxication is still here;

The awakened world looks faded to me;

The storm is raging; the world is turning to dust;

Let me rub my eyes, then let me come to my senses, then I will go with you.

.

Where is that magic of mine, that miracle of mine? Bring them;

Where is my lost voice; bring it.

Where is that broken instrument of mine? Bring it.

Let me sing a little on this instrument, then I will go.

.

I was overcome with fatigue when suddenly clouds appeared;

Some drunkard pushed the bottle to me silently;

O, those colourful, mysterious palaces of dreams!

Let me make two or three more such palaces, then I will go with you.

.

The burning of my heart has come to say something to me;

Have I done something that is not proper in the world today?

O tears, you were my dāman [robe] unnecessarily!

Let me dry my wet dāman, then I will go.

.

The pride of love is still in my eyes;

The pride of truth is still on my lips;

The pride of nobility is still on my forehead;

Let me now free myself of these silly notions, then I will come along.

.

    1941

.

From:  Firozān̲ (Resplendent Things). ʻAlīgaṛh: Anjuman Taraqqī-yi Urdū (Hind), 1960. pp. 90 – 91